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Weatherproof Nikon Cameras and Lenses?

dave.gt

Well-known member
Ummm...:loco:

We have stayed too far from the topic.:)

Weatherproof cameras and lenses. Have we really contributed to that question so far? I would not mind discussing rain jackets, plastic bags, etc. but we do need to start somewhere.:thumbup:
 

Bugleone

Well-known member
Living in England this is actually well within my sphere of experience...:cool: When I was a photographer my kit for the hills always included a waterproof poncho folded flat with no air inside and stored in the lid pocket of my rucksack. Here in the UK rain can come out of a sunny sky and it's seconds to get the poncho over the rucky while still wearing it and yomp on.... When the camera is set up on the tripod and one is suddenly getting wet either thru a squall or a passing low cloud (as can happen on the Welsh hills) then the poncho can be thrown over the whole rig including the photographer and the lens can be inside the poncho hood with just the lenshood showing...a suitably placed 'bulldog' clip can hold the hood close round the lenshood. Some really atmospheric shots can be had this way. a straigh sided lens hood helps considerably.

The best poncho to use is the German army item from the mid 60's to 80's, which is semi rubberised and big enough to 'bivvy' under, also has strong eyelets with metal reinforcements, is plain field gray rather than the later DPM pattern so is better where other people may see,.....can be used as a ground sheet or a wind shelter too.

One of the better rain beating ideas is that devised by UK Royal Navy in the 1960's and consists of a specially modified umberella which fitted onto a holder attached to the accessory plate on the 5x4 M.P.P. tech camera...this was part of the kit for all ships photographers especially important in the far-east monsson season where I firs saw it...Sadly, I never got to use one.
 

Jorgen Udvang

Subscriber Member
A poncho is always a good idea to carry. The good ones are a bit bulky even when folded, but they keep you, your bag and to a certain degree your camera dry. I often had one with me during races, but mostly to keep myself and the bag dry. The camera would get wet anyway, at least with the circumstances that I shot under.

I've tried camera rain covers a couple of times, but didn't really like them. There might be better types than the ones I tried though, or maybe it's just me.

However, I've never had a Nikon camera or lens stop because of rain, except the D80 which wasn't weather sealed anyway. Sometimes the cars stopped though:



D300 with 80-200 f/2.8 AF-S
 

Jorgen Udvang

Subscriber Member
Just a comment to my comment on ponchos:
The reason why I say that the good ones tend to be bulky is that, because they will often get a bit moist on the inside, those that are thin will easily wrap around body part and stick to your body, not always, but in the most annoying ways and situations. I prefer those that can be opened totally and folded out to a square or rectangular piece of fabric, so that they can be used to sit on, repair cameras on, for picnics etc., or simply as a canvas to cover gear or bags.
 

dave.gt

Well-known member
As a former motor sports photographer, I've used most of my hi-end Nikon bodies in pouring rain, sometimes for hours. That includes D300, D2Xs, D700 and D810. Nikon has always been conservative when it comes to written statements about weather sealing. However, photos in their brochures tell a different story, and often show camera used in worse conditions than I would normally expose myself to. The F6 brochure is my favourite in that respect.

https://cdn-4.nikon-cdn.com/e/Q5NM9...-Tmc2LI1QzE2CCBOrQ==/PDF/1799_F6_brochure.pdf

I found a relatively new F6 blog btw., with lots of good information about my favourite camera:

https://yestheworldisyours.com/blogs/news/nikon-f6
Haha! Yes, I still miss my F6. But I never had the desire to subject it to inclement weather, let alone such treatment! It was the only camera that I have used that actually produced images published in two medical journals, so I really only used it sparingly. Then I sold it to pay some medical bills.:(

The D2x, same fate. But my "new" D2x :thumbup: is quite enjoyable as before but I don't feel comfortable using it in downpours even though a lot of people seem to have fine just that.

I would like to have lenses with the rubber gasket on the mount... but, I don't.
 

Jorgen Udvang

Subscriber Member
Haha! Yes, I still miss my F6. But I never had the desire to subject it to inclement weather, let alone such treatment! It was the only camera that I have used that actually produced images published in two medical journals, so I really only used it sparingly. Then I sold it to pay some medical bills.:(

The D2x, same fate. But my "new" D2x :thumbup: is quite enjoyable as before but I don't feel comfortable using it in downpours even though a lot of people seem to have fine just that.

I would like to have lenses with the rubber gasket on the mount... but, I don't.
Sitting at an airport at 4 A.M. waiting for my next flight, my judgements may not be optimal, but somebody told me years ago that only two lenses are needed, a 35mm and an 85mm. Nikon offers both, as f/1.8 as well as 1.4 plus f/1.8 in Z-mount. Maybe that guy was right. With one D-body and one F-body, you wouldn't even need a back cap for the lenses :cool:

I miss my F6 too btw., but I sold it to finance the condo where I'm supposedly going to retire... if I ever will.
 

Thorkil

Well-known member
Somehow, I feel that new versions of the Z6 and Z7
shall be announced much sooner than the usual Nikon
upgrade cycles of the past.

They have to...others have gained significant experience
and are now in a relatively strong position to consolidate
their market share and snap on the heels of new entrants.

It does not matter if one card slot is all one needs;
it is how the market perceives such an issue.

Same with lenses. No matter how good an adapter is;
does one have the native lenses for that mount now..
not tomorrow.

I shall be watching developments very eagerly.

Like is too short. If I can’t have salmon, I wouldn’t mind
a trout for dinner.

Of course, one can go out fishing; hoping to snag something
for dinner.
Hi Rayyan
No I don't think so. Its no time for version II models for a long time I think. They just need some further adjustment in nextcoming firmware-updates
The Z7 and Z6 are much more up to the task that even professionals were expecting
When I read here and there, there are much more satisfaction than one should believe after all the first-coming un-seriously review-bashing let you think, so don't let these old reviews fool you anymore
You don't hear anything of a failing XQD-card while it never happens.
You dont hear about low capacity battery, while it is rather high capacity in fact.
Etc...
For example recent quotes from Fred Miranda Forum:

arbitrage wrote about even doing Birds in Flight test of the Z7 (the only weak point, together with a bit low light AF-issues)(shoting was with the adapted 500 PF):
" ... Was able to get a little more sunny weather flight shooting on mallards and seagulls. Also got one Kingfisher sequence but it was a little too far away.
I got sequences with the mallard where 90% were in good focus, also had some sequences with only 20% in focus. Same things for gull sequences. My Kingfisher sequence nailed maybe 50%.
I can't add much more than I've already discussed in previous posts. Overall, I really like the camera, Nikon was much closer to high performing MILC than I thought they were from reading specs and the internet. For the most part, I think I would prefer the Z7 over the D850 for everything other than flight shots and sometimes I just prefer the OVF (but that is a general thing not related to Z7). I do find the EVF of Z7 better than A9.
I'm going to consider replacing my D850 with Z7 and maybe just keeping my D500 as my last DSLR.."
Thern answer:
"This must have come as a surprise Geoff?
It was indeed a surprise to me personally when I bought the Z as a light companion for travel and discovered it was a lot better than 'the internet' would make believe.
Said it before and say it again, Nikon's Z6 and Z7 are a very competent first gen MILC.
Promising times!"

For my non-pro-part I think I will do very fine with the Z7 for the rest of my life..
Its still a surprisingly competent camera, better for me than my D3, Df and Fuji X-T2/X-T3.
And more and more people are being aware of that.
just saying...
best
 

Elderly

Well-known member
Just a comment to my comment on ponchos:
I wonder what cameras they are hiding under their ponchos?



I shot this in 2005 with a Minolta Dimage A1 - certainly NOT a waterproof camera,
but it was still working ......... when I last retrieved it from the back of a cupboard.
 

Shashin

Well-known member
I shot this in 2005 with a Minolta Dimage A1 - certainly NOT a waterproof camera,
but it was still working ......... when I last retrieved it from the back of a cupboard.
An excellent camera, even if is say so myself. I wrote the English instruction manual for that when I was working for Konica Minolta in Japan. If you have any other language manual except the Japanese version, then the translation is from mine.
 

Elderly

Well-known member
I wrote the English instruction manual for that when I was working for Konica Minolta in Japan. If you have any other language manual except the Japanese version, then the translation is from mine.
If I remember correctly - the manual supplied with my camera was enormously thick as it contained many many language sections (all yours :thumbup:).

I carefully removed the English pages to carry around with me on a trip to Peru taken shortly after buying it; being my first digital camera it seemed extremely complex to me at the time :shocked:.
As indeed does my Olympus EM1 MkII seems to me today :ROTFL::banghead::facesmack:.
 
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